The list is an interesting mix of newfound success and wealth built over time
From mining magnates to tech innovators, the 10 richest people in Australia are growing their wealth despite the challenges of the pandemic. It’s an indication that the market moves to benefit people who are already on top of their game. But newcomers are also changing the landscape.
The rich list, from the Australian Financial Review, features iron ore business mogul Gina Rinehart ($31+bn) at the number one spot. Following her is another mining tycoon Andrew Forrest ($27+bn). The two richest Australians are reportedly riding the wave of China’s dependence on Australia’s iron ore resources.
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However, those who are striking out in the tech space are proving that you can grow your wealth without taking too much resources from the planet. Atlassian co-founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar are both on the list at numbers two and five, respectively. Theirs is a success story of building an indispensable enterprise software.
Similarly, Canva co-founders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht debuted on the list at number 10 for having scaled a company that helps small businesses and individual users develop graphics even with zero editing skills.
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The 2021 list represents an interesting mix of both newfound success as well as wealth built over the years. Here’s the full list from AFR:
- Gina Rinehart – $31.06bn
- Andrew Forrest – $27.25bn
- Mike Cannon-Brookes – $20.18bn
- Anthony Pratt & family – $20.09bn
- Scott Farquhar – $20.00bn
- Harry Triguboff – $17.27bn
- Clive Palmer – $13.01bn
- Hui Wing Mau – $11.70bn
- Frank Lowy – $8.51bn
- Melanie Perkins & Cliff Obrecht – $7.98bn
